Morsels For The Mind – 1/11/2013

Every day we provide you with #SixIncredibleThingsBeforeBreakfast to nibble away at. Here you can fill your brain with the most intellectually stimulating “amuse bouches” from the past week – a veritable smorgasbord for the cranium. They’re all here for you to load up your plate – this week’s “Morsels for the mind”. Enjoy!

If you do nothing else, make sure to check out the “Reads / views of the week”.

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Feather, fur & fin – birds, beasts, fishes, and the things they do

“We shouldn’t draw the curtains over the aspects of animal behavior that make us cringe.” From a brilliant piece by Laelaps on other animals behaving badly. Must read. Read of the week.

“You can’t help but marvel at just how much life is supported by the nature that’s already around us.” From a lovely post by Levi Stahl on juncoes as a salve for the bleakness of late October. Read of the week.

Molecular machinery – the toils of the macromolecules of life – nucleic acids and proteins (and others) – from molecules to cells to organs to organisms (including genetics & genomics)

“There remains the glittering prospect of finding some systemic secret to how the great genomic machine operates.” From a brilliant piece by David_Dobbs on the challenges, particularly the pitfalls, of genetic association. Wonderful weaving of a personal example and a much broader implication. Masterful writing. Read of the week.

“We can’t rely on a mountain or a remote wasteland to create waldeinsamkeit; we have to create it ourselves.” From superb post by Mat Honan about the difficulty of getting away from it all. Read of the week.